Juan Mata has revealed Louis van Gaal had some stern words for his players after their win over Roma in Denver.

But the Spanish midfielder believes the Dutchman is right to demand perfection.

During the summer tour to the United States, Van Gaal has spoken about the demands he places on his players both on and off the pitch, saying, 'there are many rules the players must fulfil'.

He watched his side go 3-0 up before half-time against Roma, and eventually win 3-2. But asked afterwards for his assessment he admitted 'we didn't play a good match'.

But Mata, who scored the second goal at Sports Authority Field, insists that's OK with him.

And he says the players are happy to have a manager who is pushing them to be better.

Mata said: “He is right to be demanding. As a player you want a coach like this, always demanding more and to play better and try to win the games earlier or in a different way.

“After the game when we had given two goals away he was not very happy but I think his way is that of a great manager. The first 15 to 20 minutes we played a bit slow it was difficult because the pitch was dry.